Electric switch



Nov. 22, 1927. 1,649,893

c. T. EVANS ET Ax.

ELECTRIC SWITCH s sheets-sheet I1 Filed sept. 2?, 1919` 1 A INVENTORS TTENEY Nov. 22, 1927. 1,649,893

C. T. EVANS ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Sept. 27, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS Nov. 22, 1927. 1,6492893 c.T.EvANs EVAL f ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed sept. 27, 1919` 5 Sheetsfsheet 5 nvVENTRs @Xa/www5. @www 62X?. :Hom/VV www WM ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, l927.

unirse star-Es PATENT ortica.

CLARENCE T. EVANS AN`D-WILLIAM H. HOLDEP, OF: MILWAUKEE, WSCONSIN, AS-

PORA'ION OF WISCAONSEN.

ELECTRQC STCH.

Application filed September 27, 1919. Serial No. 326,896.

This invention relates to electric switches and is particularly applicable to electroinagiietically operated switches of large current carrying capacity.

ln many instances where switches of large current carrying capacity are required and especially in submarine installations the limited space available precludes the use of purposes having its parts readily accessible from the front thereof for inspection and also for removal and replacement when necessary.

Various other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment ofthe invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiment illustrated is susceptible oitl various modilications falling within the .scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawingsh Figure l is a side elevational view of an electromagiietically operatedv switch which embodies the invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detail views, partly iii section, of certain ,parts thereof; and,

Fig. 5` is a front elevational view' ofa plurality of switches embodying ther invention.

rElie switch shown' in the drawings is mounted upon a horizontally arranged'insi'ilating panel 1 and includes a movable switch arm 2 having mounted thereon a contact plate 3 and two auxiliary contact levers 4, stationary contact 5 to co-operate with Contact plate 3 and two auxiliary carbon arciiig contacts 6 to co-operate with auxiliary contact levers 4. The arm 2 is operable electromagnetically by a pair of solenoids- 7 through the medium of a triple arm lever 8 and alink 9. The switch is adapted to complete the circuit from a terminalpost 10 at the rear of panel 1 through a coil 11 of a blowout device to a terminal post 12 at the front ofpanel 1.

The switch arm 2 and contact levers 4 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 13 supported by upright lugs 14. on a bracket 15, said shaft. 13 fitting in notches 16 in the rear of said lugs and being secured in place by cap screws 17 passing througi saidi'lugs, from the front thereof. bestshown in` Figs. 3 and' 4, comprisesa casting having spaced upright arms 18 connected at'theii" upper ends by a cross piece 19 and at their lower ends by a forwardly projecting arm 2O pivotally connected at 2l to the lower end of link 9. Contactplate 3 is mounted on the rear of arms 18 and.. is electrically connected to ,terminal post 12 by a flexible lead 22 while contact levers 4 are arranged side by side between said arms and are also electrically connected to terminal post 12 by flexible leads 23. The auxiliary Contact levers 4 extend upwardly in froiit'of cross piece 19` and each is provided with an arciiig tipy 24 and is the upper end ofcontact plate 3 by a' conventional tensioning device 25 arrangedinterniediate its ends. i

The stationary contacts 5 and 6 are mountedupoii an upright extension 2G of a bracket 27, thearcing contacts Gbeingsecured to` the upper end of said extension in the usual -mai'iner andthe contact 5 being arranged said groups to extension 26. The leads 29'f and 3()k are clamped to extension 26 by capy screws 31 and the lead 29l isfclamped intermediate thevgroups 5a and 5b while the lead 30 is clamped on the outer facel ofthe latter group. This arrangement tends to augment-y the Current carrying capacity of the vconf tact since the same insures a substantially uniform distributionof the current through out thevvarious laminas thereof;

The brackets 15 and 27 are secured to panel 1 by cap screws 32, the latter being supported 4on the former but insulated there! from by insulating plates 33v and the bracket 15 ,being insulated from insulating bushings 34.

The lswitch ariifi 2, asA

said cap screwsbyv s The bracket 271 is electrically connected to oneterininal ofthe yieldiiigly held against blowout coil ll, the other terminal of said coil being electrically connected to terminal post 10. The coil 11 is self supporting and to facilitate manufacture thereof the same is made in t'wo parts consisting of an inner coil 11 and an outer coil 1l" surrounding the former. Coil 11 carries an insulated core 35 and pole pieces 36 arranged on opposite sides of the arcing contacts 6 and 24 and secured to said core by a bolt 37. The pole pieces 36 are insulated from coil 11 by insulating washers 38 and are provided on their outer ends with an insulating chute or barrierr consisting of side plates 407 a rear plate 41 and a top plate 42. all of said plates being preferably formed of asbestos board. The rear plate 4l is secured between pole pieces 36 by bolts 43 and is arranged to engage a shoulder 44 on bracket 27 to support said pole pieces. The side plates 40 are secured together by bolts45, the pole pieces 36 being cut away as shown in Fig. l, to clear said bolts and insulating bushings 46 serve to maintain said plates in proper spaced relation and to protect the bolts 45 from arcs. The side plates 40 are supported on their lower edges by inwardly extending lugs 47 (Figs. l and 2) on the lower edges of pole pieces 36 and each is provided on its upper edge with a shoulder 48. Top plate 42 is removably secured to the upper edges of pole pieces 36 by cap screws 49 and engages shoulders 48 on side plates 4() to maintain the latter in position.

The solenoids 7 are mounted above the switch within a substantially rectangular magnetic frame consisting of a part 50 having feet on the rear thereof for securing the same to a suitable support such as a channel member 5l and a front member 52 removably secured to part 50 by cap screws 53. The solenoids 7 are -arranged horizontally and one above the other and each is provided with a non-magnetic sleeve 54, a stationary core 55 and a plunger 56. The stationary core 55 of the upper solenoid is secured to the rear wall of part 50 by screws 57 and the sleeve 54 thereof lits within a bore in front member 52 while the stationary core 55 of the lower solenoid is secured to front member 52 by screws 58 and the sleeve 54 thereof fits within a bore :in the rear wall of part 50. The 'triple arm lever 8 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 60 arranged intermediate the solenoids 7 and carried be tween lugs Gl on front member 52. The lever 8 has an upwardly extending arm 8' pivotally connected by a pin 62 to the plunger 56 of the upper solenoid. a downwardly extending arm S" pivotally connect ed by a pin to the plunger 56 of the lower solenoid and a forwardly projecting arm 8 having its extremity pivotally connected to the upper end of link 9. Thus upon simultaneous energia-ation of the sole` noids the plunger 56 of the upper solenoid is attracted to the left and the plunger 5G of the lower solenoid to the right whereby said piungers act together to rotate the lever 8 in a counter-clockwise direction for closure of the switch. For a purpose hereinafter set forth solenoids 7 are wound to provide for independence of the magnetic circuits thereof such circuits being obtained by causing the flux to traverse the respective plungers of said solenoids in the same direction.

With the aforedescribed arrangement of parts ,it is possible to provide an operating device of exceedingly small lateral dimensions. The lateral space required by the operating device is substantially the same as that required by the switch and as shown in Fig. 5 it is thus possible to mount several switches side by side in a very close relation. Also, it has been found that the employment of a plu ality of operating windings with independent magnetic circuits instead of a single larger winding provides for quicker operations of the switch. The time lag of such a switch is largely due to self induction of its operating means and the use of a plurality of windings having independent magnetic circuits minimizes the self inductance of the means. the independent magnetic circ its providing for a negligible mutual inductance of such windings.

lVhere several switches are mounted side by side as shown in Fig. 5, the various parts of any of the same can be removed or replaced from the front thereof without disturbing the adjacent switch or switches. Removal of cap screws 17 disconnects shafl 13 from lugs 14 and upon removal of link l) and disconnection of flexible leads 22 and 123 from terminal 4l2 the switch arm 2 and auxiliary contact arms 4 can be readili removed as a unit. Removal of these parts renders the laminated contact and arcing contacts 6 readily accessible from the front of the switch. Also, if necessary7 the various parts of the insulating chute can be readily removed from the front of the switch. Removal of screws 49 discoiinec'l's top plate 42 from the pole pieces 8G and upon removal of said plate both of the side plates` can be removed by sliding the same upwardly until the bolts 45 clear the upper edges ot' the pole pieces und then moving the same forwardly out of engagement with said pole pieces. Front member 52 together with the parts carried thereby is also removable from the front of the switch upon r-eniiovai of screws disconnection of piu 53 from lever tl' and removal of the holding` screw; 58 for thc stationary core ot' the lower solenoid. Removal of member 52 renders the operating windings 7 accessible for in spectiou and repair.

To insure easy operation of the plungers within their respective sleeves 54 the same llo are held out. of engagement therewith by rollers (S4-and 65 rotatably. mounted on the real1 of part 50. The roller 64 supports the rearend. of plunger 56 of the upper solenoid hy engagement with pin 66 securedto said plunger` and extending through any opening in the stationarykcore while the roller. 65 supports the rear end ofplunger 56 ofthe lower` solenoid by direct engagement therewith. For providing relative adjustment of the plungers 56 the pins 62 and 63 are threaded into their plungers 56 whereby upon disconnection of the saine from lever` 8 either can be adjusted to vary the position of its respective plunger relative to the other plunger. Link 9 is made adjustable to vary the position of switch arm 2 relative to the lever 8 and is also constructed to provide proper insulation between the switch and the operating device. Link 9 comprises a length of pipe 67 connected at its upper end by an insulating coupling 68 to an eye member 69 and at its lower end by a sleeve 70 and an insulating` coupling 7l to an eye member 72. The sleeve 70 has a threaded connection with pipe member 67 whereby upon disconnection of eye member 72 from switch arm 2 the same can be adjusted to vary the length of link 9.

In certain installations it is desirable to provide for manual operation of the switch and for this purpose a lever 75 is rotatably mounted on shaft. 60 of the operating device and a cam 76 is mounted in front of said device to actuate said lever. The lever 75 is provided with an adjustable pin 77 to engage the end of pin 62 and is also provided with a roller 7 8 to ride upon the face oit the cam. The cam 76 is so shaped that upon rotation thereof the saine moves the lever 75 `in a counter-cloclm'ise direction for closure of the switch. The cam 76 can be mounted in front of the operating device in any suitable manner and where it is desired to operate several switches in a definite sequence the several cams for the switches can be secured to a shaft 79, as shown in Fig. 5, and au operating handle 8O can .be provided for rotating said shaft.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In an electric switch, the combination with a movable switch element, of electromagnetic means to actuate said element, said means including a pair of solenoids having their windings arranged side by side and vertically adjacent each other, said windings having independent magnetic circuits through separate metallic paths to minimize the mutual inductance thereof and thereby minimize the time lag in operation of said element.

2. In an electric switch, the combination ith a movable switch element of a plurality of electromagnets arranged side by side and adjacent each other with their axes in a vertical plane corresponding` substantially'to the plane of movement of said element, said electromagnets having independent magnetic circuits,`members to be attracted by saidelectro-magnets and means connecting said members to 'said switch element for operation of said element by said eiectromagnets jointly.

3. ln an electric switch, the. combination with an upright switch arm, of a pair of solenoids arranged one above the other and at one end of saidy arm with their axes in a vertical plane corresponding substantially to the plane of movement of said arm, said solenoids having independent magnetic circuits, and linkage connecting the plungers of said solenoids to said arm for operation of said arm by said solenoids ointly.

4. In an electric switch, the combination with an upright switch arm, of a pair of operating means therefor including horizontally disposed solenoids arranged above said switch arm' with their axes in a plane corresponding substantially to the plane of movement of said arm, said solenoids being adapted upon simultaneous energization to move their plungers in opposite directions, a lever pivotally connected to said plungers and having a iiXed pivot intermediate the same and a link operatively connecting said lever and said switch arm.

5. The combination with a switch, of an operating device therefor including a magnetic frame, a pair of solenoids mounted side by side within said frame, said solenoids having independent magnetic circuits and being adapted upon simultaneous energization to attract their plungers in opposite directions and an operating lever for said switch pivotally mounted on said frame at a ypoint intermediate said solenoids, and having oppositely extending arms pivotally conneet-ed to the plungers of said solenoids.

6. The combination with a switch, of an operating device therefor including a substantially rectangular magnetic frame having open sides and a removable front member, a pair of horizontally arranged solenoids mounted one above the other within said frame and adapted upon simultaneous energization to attract their plungers in opposite directions and an operating lever for said switch pivotally mounted on the front of said frame at a point intermediate said solenoids, and having oppositely extending arms pivotally connected to said plungers.

7. The combination with a switch, of an operating device therefor including a substantially rectangular magnetic frame having open sides and a removable front inember, a pair of horizontally arranged solenoids mounted one above the other within said frame and adapted upon simultaneous energization to attract their plungers in opposite llO directions, rollers rotatably mounted on tlie rear of said frame ior supporting the rear ends of said plungers and an operating lever 'for said switch pivotally mounted on the front of said iframe and having arms pivotally connected to the 'front ends o said piangere.

8. The combination with a switch, oi an operating device therefor including a pair of solenoids mounted side by side and adapted upon simultaneous energization to attract their plungers in opposite directions, a rotatable operating lever for said switch connected to said plungers for operating in one direction by said solenoids jointly, a manually operated cam and an operating connection between said cam and said lever or el'ecting movement of said lever in the aforesaid direction upon actuation of said cani, said connection being adjustable to vary the throw of said lever effective by said cani.

In witness wl'iereoi', We have each hereunto subscribed our naines.

CLARENCE T. EVANS. VILLIAM H. HOLDER. 

